


Always Noticed

by withprettywords



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Danny smiles a lot, M/M, Mahealahey, always left out Danny, lost puppy Isaac, meet the pack, might add more later - Freeform, preslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-16
Updated: 2013-02-16
Packaged: 2017-11-29 11:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/686320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withprettywords/pseuds/withprettywords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isaac is the kind of guy who lurks quietly in the background, but Danny has always noticed him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Noticed

There was never a moment when Danny suddenly noticed Isaac Lahey. The guy didn't just appear one day out of nowhere--in his classes, on the lacrosse team, circling around his friends in chemistry class. Danny has always noticed him.  
  
He remembered when they were kids and Isaac's dad let him play basketball all afternoon at Jackson's house. Or maybe it just took Mr. Lahey a few hours to notice his youngest son had snuck out.

Isaac didn't play outside after his brother died. Not ever. Danny knew he should say something nice and supportive when Isaac came back to school, but then he didn't and after a week, a month, a year what could he say?  
  
He noticed freshman year, when all the guys started bulking up from sports and hormones, Isaac stayed so skinny, got smaller even. Sometimes there were bruises on his knuckles or his wrists, even an occasional black eye that definitely didn't come from lacrosse. Danny knew something was wrong, but he never knew how to make it better.

He noticed Isaac sometimes in the locker room after practice, when everyone else was rushing to get home he'd take his time, like he liked having a place to be besides home.  
  
It was sophomore year when he started changing. Danny watched him start hanging around that Erika girl who had seizures. Suddenly he was better at lacrosse too, and dear God, all that leather.  
  
Danny didn't know what to think, especially when he saw Isaac with Stiles' gorgeous cousin Miguel. Correct that, he saw Isaac getting into a sexy black Camaro with Miguel and speed out of the school parking lot like they had better places to be. Danny even thought he saw Isaac at the Jungle once, but that was the night of the weird temporary paralysis thing so he couldn't be sure.  
  
The point is, Danny has always noticed Isaac. So when Jackson told him the big werewolf secret and took him to the warehouse to meet the pack it was no surprise when his gaze immediately fixed on Isaac. He was hovering just behind Derek, observing the newcomer with curiosity. Isaac blushed and looked away when Danny smiled at him, like he wasn't used to the attention. Something about that reaction was so adorable that Danny smiled even brighter.  
  
Once he'd formally met everyone and figured out who was what, people split off into their usual groups--concerned with their own problems. McCall and Stiles were arguing about Derek, and how he was at the very least being civil so Scott shouldn't hate him so much. Peter and Derek were talking a bit quieter about an army of teen wolves not standing a chance against an alpha pack, which sounded terrifying. Lydia and Jackson were caught up in some of their usual drama, but that's kind of how they function so he wasn't worried about that. Isaac was walking back to a train car which Danny really hoped was not his bedroom.  
  
"So werewolf, huh?" Danny said, trying for casual. Isaac must've noticed the others were busy too because he knew instantly Danny was speaking to him. He stopped and turned around.  
  
He mussed his hair nervously as he looked up at Danny. "Weird, right?" he said, smiling absurdly like he waited for months for someone to ask about it and share in the ridiculousness.  
  
"This whole time I thought it was some sort of drug gang thing," Danny said, only half joking. It was an odd group that made no sense, especially when you consider Peter and Derek hanging around teenagers. "Or maybe a cult," he added, leaning against a cement column in a way he hoped looked cool.  
  
It must've looked comfortable at the very least because Isaac moved to the pillar across from him and mirrored his stance. He was laughing, actually laughing at the idea of them in a cult. "It's a strange group, that's for sure. I never thought about what other people think about us," he said, honestly amused by the possible assumptions people have likely made. It was kind of refreshing to hear because that's what Jackson and Lydia constantly think about--what other people will think.  
  
Isaac looked over at McCall for a moment, who was trying to stomp out of the building dramatically but Stiles jumped in his way. Danny saw something unexpected in his expression, a sort of fondness and concern that didn't quite fit with the casual friendship between them. It made him that much more curious, what other secrets was Isaac Lahey hiding?  
  
Isaac had an embarrassed flush when he looked back, knowing Danny saw him staring. "He doesn't like being in Derek's pack," Isaac explained, like he was looking over there just to hear the conversation. Danny let it slide. He was enjoying talking to Isaac too much to make him uncomfortable with a teasing joke.  
  
"Jackson doesn't really like it either. Lydia didn't give him a choice. She didn't want to deal with werewolf problems on their own," he said, excited for the opportunity to rib on his best friend about how whipped he is. For "popular kids" they didn't actually have too many friends, at least none that they really liked.  
  
Isaac smiled, clearly knowing what he meant. Jackson had his moments in charge here and there, but Lydia has always been in control, right from the start.  
  
"What about you? Do you like the pack?" Danny asked and Isaac got that startled look on his face again, like he wasn't expecting to be asked about himself.  
  
He shrugged. "It's better than what I had," he said, not nearly as affected by the tragic events of his life as he should be. "And Derek's not as bad as they think. He just wants to be a good leader, protect everyone."  
  
The way he spoke about Derek was so different from Jackson, and Scott for that matter. He seemed grateful. Derek gave him the power to take control of his life and get out of a bad situation. Looking around at the rag tag bunch of teenagers, Derek gave him a place in this too, a place to belong. No wonder Isaac doesn't mind the pack.  
  
Danny was too new to fully understand the pack dynamics, and he certainly didn't know about Derek as a leader, but they did have a pretty funny meeting story. "I met Derek a few months ago," he started and Isaac looked up at him with obvious interest. "He was in Stiles' room when I went over to study. Stiles said he was his cousin Miguel who doesn't speak English," he remembered.  
  
"No way!" Isaac said, laughing hysterically at the thought. His faces was all dimples and exquisitely defined cheekbone, making Danny's brain light up like a pinball machine. Again, again again! Make him laugh again, it insisted.  
  
"And Derek let him?!" Isaac managed to ask through his laughter.  
  
Danny smiled, feeling giddy at Isaac's excitement. "He just went along with it. In a disgruntled, broody, obviously frustrated way."  
  
"Figures. Stiles gets away with everything. I would never..." He said amusedly, shaking his head at the thought.  
  
Danny paused, unsure if he should tell the rest. It was the funniest part but he didn't want to make Isaac uncomfortable. Some people were very good about being outwardly okay with the whole gay thing but getting the creeps if he dared mention a guy in that way. Danny risked it though, wanting to see him laugh more. "And when I noticed blood on his shirt, Stiles made him take it off, but everything was too small. It was hilarious." And hot. Very very hot, he thought, leaving that part out which would almost definitely make Isaac uncomfortable.  
  
"That's priceless! Does Scott know?" he asked in the same breath. Danny felt a little hurt at that, though he knew he had no right to be. It was just bad manners, really. Everyone knows you don't mention another guy when someone's chatting you up.  
  
Is that what he's doing? Chatting Isaac up in a werewolf den?  
  
"I doubt it. His mind was all Allison back then," Danny said in a forced neutral tone, knowing it was a little mean to bring her up. Isaac looked a little disappointed, like he suddenly remembered her existence and perhaps her role in Scott’s life. But he didn't look as upset as someone with a crush should be at the mention of the girlfriend obstacle. Perhaps he's not as invested as Danny thought. He smiled at that...  
  
"So this whole time you thought Derek was around because he's Stiles' cousin? Weird," Isaac said thinking back to the story.  
  
"Well that’s what I thought until I saw the Sheriff glaring him down at a game. I figured he probably wouldn't do that to a nephew. That's when I started thinking drug dealer," Danny explained, smirking and Isaac smiled along like it was their own little joke. For a moment, Danny could forgive himself for all the missed chances, all the things he should have said over the years, because they led to this moment and he wouldn't trade it for anything.  
  
When they looked around the warehouse everyone was watching them with various degrees of curiosity. Isaac blushed and turned his head away, but Danny just smiled.


End file.
